On April 24, Pony AI (PONY, 02026) unveiled its full lineup of Robotruck business models and commercial progress at the 2026 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. The company, in collaboration with CATL, launched the world’s first fully vehicle-grade, fully redundant L4 autonomous light truck. It also announced the mass production rollout of its fourth-generation autonomous heavy truck and deepened strategic cooperation with Sinotrans in long-haul and urban logistics. Pony AI has clearly articulated its "long-haul + urban delivery" full-scenario logistics strategy to promote the large-scale implementation of L4 autonomous driving technology in the logistics sector, opening a new chapter in the trillion-yuan smart logistics landscape.
Developed jointly with CATL, the L4 unmanned light truck sets a new standard for urban autonomous delivery. According to Peng Jun, founder and CEO of Pony AI, this L4 autonomous light truck is built on CATL’s Kunshi commercial vehicle chassis. It aims to redefine urban unmanned delivery standards with robust technical capabilities, offering generational advantages in full unmanned technology, safety redundancy, vehicle-grade hardware, and commercial operation benefits. It is the industry’s first fully vehicle-grade, fully redundant L4 light truck model.
The unmanned light truck features full-scenario L4 autonomous driving capability, supports 24/7 uninterrupted operation, and can handle extreme weather and complex open-road conditions. With a top speed of 70–100 km/h, it is well-suited for integrated urban and intercity unmanned freight scenarios. The vehicle uses 100% vehicle-grade components and is equipped with a comprehensive redundancy safety architecture covering steering, braking, communication, power supply, computing, and sensors. It is designed to meet high standards with a service life of 600,000 kilometers or 20,000 hours, fulfilling the demands of large-scale commercial operation.
Economically, the unmanned light truck offers a cargo volume of 18 cubic meters, 2.6 times greater than the mainstream level for urban unmanned delivery. Compared to manual freight models, operating costs per kilometer are reduced by nearly 50%. It efficiently serves B2B urban delivery scenarios such as express distribution, supermarket replenishment, and refrigerated catering logistics, providing a high-volume, cost-effective transportation solution.
Leveraging its Robotaxi expertise, Pony AI’s light truck targets commercial deployment in urban delivery. The company’s expansion into the light truck segment is a strategic extension based on mature L4 autonomous driving technology from its Robotaxi operations and a precise understanding of urban delivery market needs. As a leader in autonomous driving, Pony AI has already achieved large-scale commercial Robotaxi operations in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. By the end of 2025, it had validated a per-vehicle profitability model, accumulating industry-leading L4 operational experience and implementation capabilities.
Peng Jun stated that the unmanned light truck shares three core technological foundations with Robotaxi, enabling large-scale fully unmanned operations from the outset. The new light truck will fully leverage Robotaxi’s technical experience in urban road conditions, handling challenges such as narrow village roads, evening peak congestion, heavy rain, and nighttime operations. It also reuses the unmanned fleet operation system—from charging and ground support to remote assistance—as well as mass-produced, vehicle-grade autonomous driving system components.
The reuse of full-stack technology and operational systems not only reduces R&D and deployment costs for the new business but also unleashes economies of scale. It further enhances L4 technology iteration, driving continuous cost reduction and efficiency improvements in Robotaxi operations.
Industry data show that China’s urban delivery market is worth 2 trillion yuan annually, with over 7.84 million light trucks in operation—accounting for more than half of urban freight vehicles. However, the sector faces challenges such as driver shortages, high labor costs, and uneven delivery efficiency. Pony AI’s entry into the light truck and urban delivery market is expected to unlock both economic and social value for autonomous driving technology in urban settings.
Fourth-generation unmanned heavy truck enters mass production, reinforcing long-haul logistics layout. While expanding into urban delivery, Pony AI has also achieved a key breakthrough in long-haul logistics. At the Beijing auto show, the company announced the mass production of its first fourth-generation L4 autonomous heavy truck model, built on Sany’s Jiangshan pure electric platform. First introduced in November 2025, it is the world’s first fully vehicle-grade, fully redundant autonomous heavy truck. Plans include deploying a thousand units, with the first batch starting cargo operations within the year, serving scenarios such as long-haul logistics, bulk commodity transport, and port container movement.
The fourth-generation heavy truck achieves breakthroughs in both cost and performance: the cost of its autonomous driving kit (ADK) has dropped 70% compared to the previous generation, while its design life reaches 1 million kilometers. In a typical 1+4 platooning scenario, it can reduce freight costs per kilometer by 29%. The truck supports both single-vehicle autonomous operation and 1+N platooning modes.
The heavy truck is a core vehicle for Pony AI’s expansion in long-haul logistics, focusing on key freight corridors in economic zones such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Greater Bay Area, and Chengdu-Chongqing, as well as routes in northwestern China. The company is accelerating the automation of truck platoons and announced that on April 22 it obtained China’s first permit for unmanned cargo platooning, allowing "1+N" unmanned logistics operations on highways including the Jingjintang and Jingjin Expressways.
Integrated long-haul and urban delivery strategy forms a smart logistics "golden triangle." With its two benchmark L4 products—the unmanned light truck and heavy truck—Pony AI has officially begun integrated full-scenario layout covering both long-haul logistics and urban delivery. Building on eight years of L4 freight experience, the company is deepening its "technology + vehicle + scenario" golden triangle business model in partnership with industry leaders such as Sinotrans, CATL, and Sany Heavy Truck, helping the logistics industry reduce costs, improve quality, and increase efficiency.
At the auto show, Pony AI and Sinotrans also announced enhanced cooperation in long-haul and urban delivery. The two parties will jointly develop an autonomous freight demonstration project in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region using fourth-generation pure electric autonomous heavy trucks, launching the country’s first warehouse-to-warehouse cross-province fully unmanned freight route from Beijing’s Majuqiao Logistics Park to Tianjin Logistics Park and the port. They will also begin urban delivery business cooperation using the new pure electric unmanned light truck.
The strategic partnership between Pony AI and Sinotrans began in 2021, leading to the establishment of their joint venture, Qingzhu Logistics, in 2022, to explore commercial applications of autonomous logistics. Sinotrans brings over 70 years of logistics expertise and a nationwide network.
In 2025, Pony AI’s Robotruck business generated revenue of 284 million yuan. By the end of March 2026, its Robotruck autonomous test mileage exceeded 7.4 million kilometers, with cumulative freight volume surpassing 11.5 billion ton-kilometers. As unmanned vehicles enter mass production and both long-haul and urban delivery businesses scale up, Robotruck is expected to open new commercial growth opportunities. Continued cost reductions through technology will enable large-scale unmanned operations, providing strong momentum for the company’s long-term performance.
Peng Jun emphasized that Pony AI will continue to promote the large-scale deployment of its light and heavy truck businesses, fully integrating the main arteries of logistics with the capillaries of urban delivery. The company aims to empower a new trillion-yuan smart logistics ecosystem through autonomous driving technology.
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